CalendarofSetesh

Just as the Loom of Fate guides destiny in Creation, so to does the Calendar of Setesh guide destiny in the Underworld. For many reasons, the Calendar is far "looser" and less "real" than the Loom of Fate. There are no (or almost no) Sidereal Exalted to uphold and enforce its tide. The inhabitants of the Underworld are all natural Essence channelers. The Underworld itself exists in the absense of destiny; it is a memory of Creation. Within this memory the Duel Monarchs have brought forth a shadow of Destiny, just as they (or specifically Setesh) have brought forth the shadow of Time. This shadow is necissary for the existence of causality; without it, all the Underworld would be but the struggle of indivdual disconnected ghosts against the downward pull of the Malfeans and struggle to reach the Lethe. For there to be a continuous world for restless society to exist (and coexist) within, their must be a continuity of realities and events. And this is what the Calendar creates by carving a riverbed for time to flow through, weighed and driven by the dual currents of oblivion and the lethe.

Unsurprisingly, the Calendar of Setesh is directly modeled on the Loom of Fate. So perfect the model in fact that its turning naturally brought forth stars into the night sky of the Underworld. This was never Setesh's intent. It is purely a byproduct of his temporal masterpiece. That said, it isn't a direct reflection. The stars of Creation do not have direct counterparts. The Underworld is not driven by Journies, Serenity, Battle, Secrets, and Endings. It has its own realities that fate adheres to and regards.

Setesh can not controle the destiny of the Underworld. Far too many factors feed input to the Calendar as it weaves forth postmortuum fates. The most obvious factor beyond his controle are mortal deaths in Creation. New ghosts, with new fetters, and new eternities spring forth feeding their karmic load into the Calendar all the time. In addition to this, while the Abyssals and the Deathlords ARE within the Calendar's domain, the Malfeans and other creatures of the Labyrinth are not (if they were, time would exist in the Labyrinth...). All of this combined makes Setesh far from the perfect oracle, much less crafter of destinies. Shades within the Calendar itself, on the other hand...

Five "beings" exist within the Calendar. Their origin is unknown. Perhaps when Setesh built the Calendar, it so perfectly reflected the Loom that it brought forth its own shadows of the Maidens to fill their absense. Or perhaps these are the remains of past bearers of the mask of Setesh. In any event, five beings of shifting genders flow through the Calendar and the Stars simultaneously overseeing and prophesizing. These Leiges of the Calendar each oversee one of the Five Houses the Calendar is based upon and works through. They will speak only in enigmatic riddles and prophesies. This is only form of reality they seem to percieve....

Uranus/Urania is Liege of the House of Memory. He is simultaneously and wizened elderly sage and a young stary eyed girl. Under her domain are knowledge of the world, the memory of things lost, one's previous existence in Creation, and the element of prayer. The Constellations of her House are the Ruins, the Urn, the Raptor, the Eye, and the Wind.

Neptune is the most consistently female of the Lieges. Hers in the House of Entropy. Decay, destruction, devestation, and discord are under her domain. Many associate her with the element of Blood. She is lithe to the point of emaciation, though she radiates power. The Constellations of the House of Entropy are the Heart, the Kraken, the Maelstrom, the Trident, and the Horn.

Charon is Liege of the House of Transition. With a body shrouded by brown robes and a skull for a face, gender is impossible to determine, and likely completely irrelevant if existant at all. Tied to the element of White Jade, Charon is seen as the Liege most connected to the Lethe. Movement without loss and the redistribution of meaning are under its oversight. The Constellations of the House of Transition are the Skull, the Coin, the Scythe and Oar, the Ferry, and the Lantern.

Cerebus is Liege of the House of No Passage, and is feared by many even more than Neptune. Associated with the element of Bone, he is the most consistantly male of the Lieges. He is seen as beastial, massive and ominous. His face has never been seen, always covered by one of three different masks. His House oversees the force of stasis, that which refuses to change or let go. Barriers and imprisonment of all sorts are under his supervision. The Constellations of the House of No Passage are the Gate, the Hooks, the Prey, the Claw, and the Chains.

Pluto is the Liege of the House of Eternity. He is simultaneously a dour young boy and a stern and pedagogal queen. She glows eternally with the pale light of Ghost-Flame. Under her own soft light, he oversees the forces of time, essence, preservation, authority, and silence. The Constellations of the House of Eternity are the Citadel, the Throne, the Helmet, the Tome, and the Quill.

White Creation is experiencing the Air, the Season of Memory occures in the Underworld; then the Season of Entropy, followed by Transition, followed by No Passage, followed by Eternity. The Loom of Fate and Calendar of Setesh have over the millenia reached a point where they recalibrate simultaneously. In other words Calibration occures at the same time for both, between the Season of Fire/Eternity and the Season of Air/Memory marking the new year.

Comments

There is more to come to this. I intend to explore the underlying meanings and implications of each of the Constellations. In addition, I hope to eventually explore the potential of Sidereals drawing wisdom (and Charms) from the Calendar. I think said Sids should run the risk though of loosing their connection to the Loom of Fate. It is my thinking that this is what has happened to the Green Lady, who is clearly no longer counted amongst the Sidereals by the Bureau of Destiny.

Anyone who would like to see different views of the stars of the underworld is encouraged to look towards Telgar's TheDarkHouses, or GoldenH's TheStarsShadows. -Glamourweaver